Cody Kitten
by Peace Sign Freak
Summary: This is long one-shot and it is a holiday gift for everyone. If you guys don't like it then don't worry. You can 'exchange' it. Just let me know if you guys want something better through the reviews. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy it. The story is set the summer after Cody and Bailey's second year at Yale.


One day during mid-June in Arwin's work place, Cody was helping Arwin perfecting one of his newest inventions. Cody originally was against the idea of helping Arwin for two reasons: he was afraid that something would go wrong and that he wanted to spend time with Bailey since she had come by the hotel for a week-long visit. But Arwin convinced Cody to help him. After some consideration, Cody thought of the consequences from helping out Arwin as compared to getting roped into one of Zack's hair-brained scams or pranks that usually got them into trouble. Cody decided to help Arwin and thus he ended up the lab. But Cody had one condition for Arwin and that he was allowed to greet Bailey when she got to the hotel and could spend some time with her before he would him in the lab. Like a good friend, Arwin had agreed to the condition and even greeted Bailey for a brief time before he had to go fix a vent. And on his side, Cody held his end of the agreement and joined Arwin on Monday just two days after Bailey came by.

While Cody was tightening some wires in the new invention, Bailey was spending time with his mom. It would just the two of them since Zack had gone out to hang out with Tapeworm and Max. It had been quite a while since Cody had seen his old friends but he had different priorities in his young life and one of those priorities was to maintain his status as a Yale student and be with Bailey. It's not that Cody thinks that Bailey needs Cody to be her most of the time, it was that he wanted to stick around her. He didn't want to feel like he would let his guard down and let some swarthy stranger steal his girlfriend away from him. Cody could trust Bailey but it was other guys that he didn't trust. Cody was glad that Bailey was currently with his mom as he fiddled with a few wires. But even though Cody couldn't see Bailey for the day, they had promised each other to have dinner at the hotel's restaurant that night. As Cody was connecting a black wire to a machine, Arwin came back with a few tools. He placed the tool box on a stool and then pushed his glasses up before he looked over at Cody.

"Hey, Cody!"

Cody stopped what he was doing and turned his head toward Arwin.

"Hi, Arwin."

"So, how are things going?"

Cody turned his head back to the wires. "Things are fine."

Arwin picked up an adjustable wrench and tightened a bolt. As he did this, he checked on Cody.

"So, Cody, how's the connection of the wires going?"

"Okay. I'm almost done."

"Really? That's great."

Cody seemed a little distant since he wanted to see Bailey and then bring her over to see his old friends from middle school. Cody kind of hoped that if he introduced Bailey to Max then maybe the two girls could become good friends and bond. Secretly, Cody wanted Bailey to be a part of his old life as much as his new life as much as possible. She was his life and he thought it would be fitting for her to know his old friends and know his family because he simply wanted Bailey to be his life. He wanted to spend an eternity with her. He wanted to….marry her and have children and grow old together. Cody decided to breathe again and so he spoke up.

"Arwin?"

"Yeah?"

"What is this invention supposed to do? What is it exactly?"

"Oh! That…..It's a brain wave machine."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that other people will be able to read each other's thoughts and know how they feel. It'll be great! There will be less violence and more peace in the world."

Cody quickly flashbacked to when Zack almost ruined his relationship with Bailey and ruined his chances of getting a scholarship to Yale. That was three years ago when they would have their last Spring Break before they left high school. He remembered how an army of twins almost brought him and Zack to their knees and how he and Zack could read each other's minds. He then brought himself back to the present. He grimly turned toward Arwin and frowned.

"I'm sorry, Arwin, but I can't help you."

"Why not? You promised me."

"Look Arwin, I know what I said, but it wouldn't work."

"You don't know that."

"Actually, I do. The last Spring Break of my high school career, Zack and I got involved with a twisted experiment and we could read each other's minds by eating this really tasting fruit."

"Really? Oh, man…..Someone already did that idea on reading minds."

Cody then stood up and comforted Arwin by placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Arwin."

Arwin's head was crestfallen.

"Yeah….I know, but I really wanted to do this."

"It'll be okay. I'm sure you'll think of something really original and actually work."

"Yeah….okay."

Cody patted Arwin on the shoulder and then withdrew his hand.

"Okay, man."

Arwin picked up his head and then gave Cody his signature, uplifting smile.

"You're right, Cody. I'll have plenty of opportunities to invent something that will help mankind."

"I know, Arwin."

"Well, I guess we'll take apart the machine tomorrow. Today, we can relax."

"Are you sure, Arwin?"

"Yeah. I don't want to keep you from your friends when you don't have to stay away."

"Thanks, Arwin."

"Ah, sure."

Just then a tan short-haired American feral walked by the door. Arwin saw the cat and freaked out.

"Ahh! Cat! Get away, get away!"

Arwin backed up into Cody. The cat walked toward Arwin and Cody.

"Arwin calm down. It's just a feral cat. I'm sure it will go away."

"No, Cody! I have a crippling fear of cats!"

"How crippling?"

"As crippling as your fear of germs."

"Oh…..That's bad."

"I know."

"Well, Arwin, the only thing that you can do is ignore the cat."

"But I can't do that!"

The cat came closer to Arwin. He freaked out and knocked Cody against the machine which then caused the machine to turn on. Cody fell on the floor unconscious and sparks flew from the machine. The cat walked over to Cody and sniffed him. Arwin became highly concerned for Cody but had to stop the machine first.

"Don't worry, Cody. I'll take care of things."

Arwin went over to the machine to turn it off but he just made it worse. It short circuited and sparks had hit Cody and the cat. Afterwards, the machine exploded. There was smoke everywhere and Cody's and the cat's bodies were laying stone cold on the floor. Arwin's face was covered in soot and he cleaned his glasses.

"Cody? Are you okay?"

Cody gave no response. Arwin tried to wake him up but he got nothing from him. However, after some time, the cat woke up. It looked around and saw an unconscious human body. It wondered what had happened and then looked up at Arwin. The cat then recognized the unconscious body as its own. Cody was in the cat and the cat was inside him! His brainwaves must have transferred to the cat's body! This was a nightmare! How was he supposed to get anybody's help if he couldn't speak to anyone? H certainly could not get Arwin to him because he's afraid of cats. But Cody was desperate and he tried to get Arwin's attention but as soon as he approached the mechanic, he ran off screaming like a little girl. Cody shook his little furry head and then looked over at his human body. He waited a while and finally his body woke up. His body stretched out, yawned, then circled around and then curled up in a ball and fell asleep. Just great. The cat in his body could care less what body it was in as long as it could sleep and eat. Cody turned away and left the lab. He thought of how he would get help as he walked out of the lab. Cody was careful not to be seen by anybody. He paced around until an idea hit him. Maybe he could get Bailey's help. She was, after all, the smartest woman that he knew. Maybe he could get her attention and try to leave hints for her. That's what Cody decided to do. Now all he had to do was get to his mom's suite where Bailey would be. Cody walked on all fours and waited for an elevator door to open. Once one was opened, Cody swiftly went inside and went up to the twentieth floor before he found out that no one would go to the twenty third floor. Once he got off the elevator, Cody hopped up the stairs for three more floors. By the time he got there, he was tired. Cody forced himself to get to the suite and then pawed at the door.

Meanwhile, Bailey was talking with Carey. They were talking about what they like and what they disliked and talked about the people that knew. They were actually getting along quite nicely. Then, after a while into their conversation, Bailey brought up Cody. She wondered why he was helping Arwin and Carey reasoned that out of all the people Arwin knows, Cody is the one who can help him with his inventions. Bailey realized that Cody could help Arwin with his inventions but she openly wondered to Carey why Arwin tried to make inventions when they had been proven to not work out well for him. Carey defended that he was a hopeful guy. Bailey agreed but still thought that Cody shouldn't have to spend so much time helping Arwin. Carey could sense that Bailey was not happy that she barely got enough time to spend with Cody, but she assured Bailey that everything would be fine. Bailey, of course, was eased by Carey's words and relaxed a bit. After some time, Carey and Bailey could hear some pawing at the door. They wondered what it was. Both of them got up from the table and went over to the door. Carey opened the door and looked around. She saw nothing. Bailey happened to look down and saw a tan cat and gestured to it.

"Look, Mrs. Martin! It's a cat!"

Carey looked down at the cat.

"Ah….It's so cute."

"How do you suppose it got in here?"

"I don't know but I don't care."

"But what about the hotel rules?"

"Bailey, London has Ivana."

"Yeah but she's the daughter of the man who owns the hotel."

"Doesn't matter."

Carey picked up the cat and closed the door behind her. Bailey looked at the cat and thought that it was cute.

"You know, it is kind of cute. I wonder if someone is looking for it."

"Maybe someone is looking for it. But until its rightful owner comes long, we'll take care of it."

"Well, maybe I should call Cody."

"Nah. He's probably hard at work helping Arwin with his invention."

"Yeah. You're probably right, Mrs. Martin. So, what do you suppose we do first for the cat?"

Carey examined her son in the cat's body.

"It looks to me that the cat needs food and it needs to rest pronto."

"Okay. Do we have anything for the cat to eat to drink for the moment?"

"We might have canned tuna and water or milk. Why don't you get the cat some tuna and milk or water while I go out and buy some cat food?"

"Um, okay."

"Great. I'll be back, Bailey. Keep an eye on the cat until I get back."

"Sure, Mrs. Martin."

Carey gave the cat to Bailey and then grabbed her wallet and keys before she left the suite. Once Carey was gone, Bailey looked at the cat that she was holding in her arms.

"Well, kitty, looks like it'll just be you and me for now."

Bailey smiled at Cody in the cat body and carried him over to the kitchenette and placed him on the counter. Then she went through the refrigerator and looked for milk. She found some milk and poured it in a clean bowl. She placed the milk back in the refrigerator and placed the bowl in front of Cody. As he lapsed the milk in his small mouth, Bailey looked for a can of tuna and found one. She opened the can and prepared the tune. Once it was all nice and ready in another clean bowl, she placed the bowl on the floor and took the bowl of milk off the counter and placed the bowl next to the tuna. Cody frowned as he was not done drinking his milk. Bailey saw the sad look on the cat's eyes and picked him up and placed him on the floor.

"There you go, kitty. Now you can eat and drink on the floor."

Cody went back to drinking his milk and afterwards ate his tuna. As Bailey watched Cody eat and drink, she walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Wow. You must have been a really hungry kitty. You poor thing."

Cody kept eating his tuna until it was all gone. Then he licked his chops and walked over to Bailey. He stopped at her feet and was ready to jump. He jumped after ten seconds and landed on the couch right next to Bailey. She smiled at him and began to pet him.

"Ah….You're a lonely kitty who needs a home….You know, maybe I should give you name….No, wait. I can't. I shouldn't. I f I give you a name then I'll become attached to you."

Bailey looked into Cody's green cat eyes and couldn't resist him. She frowned and picked him up while making him stand on his hind legs on her lap.

"Oh….I can't not give you a name. Now I have to give you a name."

Bailey thought for a moment and then suddenly something hit her.

"How about Tiger?"

Cody didn't like the sound of that so he shook his head.

"No? Okay then…How about Panther?"

Cody shook his head again.

"No? Well, how about Mr. Whiskers?"

Cody shook his head again.

Bailey was getting frustrated and discouraged.

"I don't know what to call you…"

Bailey looked at Cody's small, green eyes and wondered of what she could call him.

"Maybe I can name you based on what you like."

Cody thought of an idea. He wiggled out of Bailey's grasp and hopped onto another cushion. He hopped on the cushion trying to emphasize that his real name meant cushion. But Bailey didn't get it. She just thought that he was being cute and dorky. Bailey just loved how adorable Cody was being in the cat body. She smiled and picked him up. She placed him back on her lap.

"I know what I'm going to call you. I'll call you Mr. Fluffy."

Cody shook his again.

"No? How about Winsome? It kind of sounds like a name like Winsor and it means sweetly or innocently charming and I think that you're that. Would that be okay for me to call you by that?"

Cody debated on the name and the reason why Bailey thought of it. He kind of liked it. The name had a good meaning which would satisfy his standards and it would satisfy Bailey's natural female instinct to give a cute animal a cute name. It was the perfect compromise. Cody nodded his head in approval. Once Bailey saw that the cat liked the name, she smiled.

"So, you like the name Winsome? Oh…that's great. Okay, Winsome, what do you want to do?"

Cody wiggled out of Bailey's hands and got on all fours and circled around on her lap and then laid down on it. He curled up in a ball and slept on Bailey's lap.

"Oh. That's what you want to do….Of course, you would. You must be tired, Winsome."

Cody figured he could drop hints to Bailey. He needed to replenish his energy supply first and what better way to do it then to literally take a cat nap in his girlfriend's lap? Why not? Bailey's lap was warm and soft and he could be as close to her as possible without being accused of anything by anyone. He nuzzled his small, furry head against Bailey's legs and fell into a deeper sleep. Bailey stared at him and began to pet him. She slowly and gently stroked his head and scratched the backsides of his ears. For the next hour or so, Bailey idly petted Cody's head as he slept on her lap. When Carey got back to the suite with cat food, she found Bailey asleep on the couch with the tan cat in her lap sleeping. She quietly placed the bag of cat food down and walked over to Bailey and the stray cat. They looked so cute together. Bailey's right hand was lightly placed on the cat's head as if she had been in the middle of petting it. Carey stepped up to Bailey and tapped her on the shoulder. Bailey woke up and saw Carey looking at her.

"Mrs. Martin, you're back."

"Yeah…Sorry it took so long. I had to find a pet store and parking and then I had to find a good brand of cat food and then there was line at the register."

"Oh…it's okay."

"So, how's the cat?"

"He's fine and I called him Winsome."

"Oh, really? That sounds like a cute name. Winsome."

Carey rubbed one of Cody's ears in between her index finger and thumb which woke him up. He yawned and stretched out his body on Bailey's lap.

"Oh, he's awake."

"Yeah."

Cody then turned around and saw his mom. He hopped off Bailey's lap and onto his mom's lap. Then he rubbed his small body against her body. She smiled and petted him. As she petted him, she turned to Bailey.

"You know, Bailey, Winsome seems like a very friendly cat."

"I know. He's so great. I really wonder if he's a stray."

"Maybe he is. But we have to do something with him. He can't stay here."

"I know….I wish Cody was here. He'd know what to do."

"Well, maybe he should call him."

"But you said not to call him."

"It's been long enough. I think it would be okay."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

While Carey was busy petting 'Winsome', or rather, Cody, Bailey took out her phone. Cody didn't want Bailey to think that he didn't care if he could answer his phone. He hopped off his mom's lap and swiped Bailey's cell phone out of her hand.

"Hey! Winsome!"

Cody then hopped off the couch and went to his and Zack's old bedroom and pawed at the door. Bailey picked up her phone and went over to the bedroom door. Carey came with her and looked at Winsome. Bailey didn't know what was wrong with Winsome.

"What's gotten into you, Winsome? Why do you want to go inside that room?"

Cody kept pawing at the door.

"Winsome, stop that."

"Bailey, maybe he wants to explore the room."

"But, Mrs. Martin, that's Zack and Cody's old room…."

"I know…But just let Winsome walk around in it."

"Okay…"

Bailey opens the door and Cody immediately hops onto his bed. Bailey and Carey watch what Cody would do next. He goes behind his pillow and pulls out his baby blanket. Bailey and Carey stare at him in puzzlement. Bailey points toward Cody for Carey and looks at her.

"How did he know where Cody's baby blanket was?"

Carey shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe Winsome is a really smart cat."

"Or maybe…"

Just then, Bailey realized something very crucial. She had let out a loud gasp.

"Mrs. Martin, there is no way an average cat could know that a blanket was a certain kind of pillow and specifically pick Cody's baby blanket. That means….that Winsome is Cody!"

"What? How is that possible? There is no way my son is a cat."

"Mrs. Martin, don't you see? Cody is a cat!"

"But how?"

"I don't know. Whatever invention Arwin was working on must have caused Cody to turn into a cat."

"How can you be so sure, Bailey?"

"I just have a strong feeling that Cody is in a cat's body."

"Maybe but that proves nothing."

"Okay then. We'll have to check if he really is Cody."

"How are we going to do that?"

"We have to ask him a really personal question. Only Cody would know and if this cat really is Cody then we have to find out how to help him become human again."

"I guess it's worth a shot."

"Great, Mrs. Martin. Okay now, we have to think of question for 'Winsome' to answer."

"Okay…."

Bailey and Carey thought for a moment and then Bailey had a question. She turned to Cody/Winsome and looked into his green cat eyes.

"Okay. If you are Cody and not some cute and smart cat then nod your head if you can understand me."

Cody nods his head.

"Okay, so I have a question for you."

Cody waited patiently for Bailey's question.

"Who is the love of your life and can you identify them in a picture?"

Cody turned around and walked over to a picture frame of him and Bailey used one of his front paws to point at Bailey's face. Once he gave his answer, Carey and Bailey gasped with excitement and shock. They knew then that Cody was in a cat's body.

"Okay….then. Um, Bailey, since Cody is in a cat's body maybe one of us should go find Arwin while the other one stays with Cody."

"Do you want me to go find Arwin?"

"No. Actually, Bailey, maybe I should do it."

"You're right. You know the hotel better than I do."

"Okay. Well, you just…keep Cody company until I come back with Arwin and try to fix this situation."

"Okay, Mrs. Martin."

Carey left the room and then she left the suite. Bailey turned back to Cody who was on his bed. She didn't know what to do about the fact that he boyfriend became a cat. She didn't how to feel. Bailey felt so awkward. Cody got into position as if he was about to beg for human food and made his eyes all wide and big.

"No. Don't you dare do that to me, Cody Martin. You're not being fair."

Cody kept on making his eyes wide and he pouted. Ten seconds later, Bailey caved. She sat down on the bed next to Cody.

"You're being fair. What do you want from me? Why I am even talking to you when you can't speak? This is stupid. Cody, how did you even become a cat?"

Cody didn't do anything except rubbing against Bailey's arm and her side. Bailey picked Cody up and looked into his adorable cat eyes.

"How the heck did you become a cat?! This is so infuriating. I don't know what to do with you anymore!" On one side, you're a cute cat, but on the other side, you're my boyfriend stuck in a cat's body!"

Cody just stared at Bailey.

"You're right, Cody. I should stay calm. But how I supposed to? You're a freaking cat for crying out loud."

Cody slipped out of Bailey's hands and landed on her lap. He circled around and nuzzled on her lap. Bailey naturally petted him on his head.

"Cody, what are we going to do? I mean, even if this whole situation clears up, what will happen with our relationship? I mean, it'll be kind of weird once you're human again because I will have the memory of when you were a cat."

Cody began to purr. Bailey looked down at Cody and stopped petting him. Then laid down on his bed and folded her hands over her stomach. Cody got up and crawled up her body. Bailey pulled her hands away and Cody laid down on her stomach and stared at her. She stared back.

"Cody, you do realize that this is going to be weird. Right?"

Cody meowed. Bailey rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know….I shouldn't worry but it's going to be weird…Ha. I'm already talking to a cat. You know, Cody, life is weird. I could just imagine telling my parents that I now have a cat for a boyfriend."

Cody cocked his small and fluffy yet slightly fatty head and curiously looked at Bailey.

"That's not what I meant. It's not like the time when Maddie almost had to marry a young prince whom she would have to raise as she was married to him. No, Cody. This is different. You're well-behaved and I like being with you, but you're not a human. You're a cat."

Then Bailey reached over and rubbed Cody's ears with her thumbs and index fingers. As Bailey continued to rub his ears, Cody began to purr. Bailey didn't know what else to do. She was pleased with herself that she made Cody happy by rubbing his ears but he was a cat and she was a human. She craved being with Cody but while he was in his human form so she could hold hands with him and have a two-sided conversation and cuddle against his chest instead of him cuddling on her stomach or lap. Bailey wanted to feel safe and warm in Cody's arms and feel his lips on hers and feel his fingers brushing her cheeks and her being able to run her fingers through his golden hair. Bailey missed Cody as a human but she figured that the best thing to do at the moment was to embrace Cody's new form and adapt to the situation. She still could love him but in a different way. Bailey decided to make the best of the situation and petted Cody's head. She just would have to be patient and hope that Cody could turn back to human. She needed to be in his arms and lean against his tall and lanky body. Cody fell asleep to Bailey's touch and she eventually fell asleep as well.

In the meantime, Carey had went down to the lobby and searched for Arwin. She found him in his work space cleaning up the debris of the machine exploding. He was sweeping when Carey came in through the door way. Arwin noticed a shadow cast over his body and so he looked up and saw Carey standing around.

"Arwin, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah. Sure. What's up?"

"Where's Cody?"

Arwin looks over at Cody's body still lying on the floor.

"He's there."

Carey walks over to Cody's body and shakes it. Once he's awake, he looks at Carey and hisses and then goes back to sleep. Carey looks back at Arwin.

"Arwin, what's going on?"

"Um….nothing."

"Arwin…."

"Oh…Alright! Cody was helping me finish the brain wave machine but once he found out what it was used for, he told me not to through with it and to find something else to invent. Well, after our conversation, a cat came by and scared me. Well, one thing led to another and the cat scared me who then made me back into Cody and he fell back into the machine. A short circuit occurred and sparks flew while the cat was near Cody's body and I guess the two sort of switched bodies. More like they switched brain waves."

"So, that means that Cody is in a cat's body?"

"Well, his brain waves are in a cat's body, but…yeah. He basically is in a cat's body."

"Did you recall what the cat looked like?"

"Uh…..it was stray American short hair cat with tan fur and green eyes."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, Bailey and I found Cody as the cat."

"Oh…."

"Yeah."

"Well, what should we do?"

"Arwin, I think what you should do is fix the machine and make it so it will reverse the effects of Cody and the cat's brains switching bodies and keep an eye on Cody's body. While you fix the machine, Bailey and I will keep an eye on Cody as the cat."

"Okay."

"So, how long do you suppose it will take you to fix the machine?"

"Oh…I don't know. Maybe somewhere between two to six hours."

"Okay. Well, could you contact me when you've fixed the machine?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Thanks, Arwin."

"No problem."

"Okay. Well, I better get back to Bailey to let her know what's going on."

"Okay. You do that, Carey. I'll be busy fixing the machine."

Carey smiled at Arwin and then left the workspace to return to the suite on the twenty third floor.

Back with Bailey and Cody, Cody woke up and stretched out his paws and then yawned. He stood up and got off Bailey's stomach. She rolled on her side in her sleep and Cody avoided her. He looked at her and then walked back to her face. He licked her until she woke up. Bailey fluttered her eyes open and saw Cody staring at her with his big, green eyes. She sat up straight.

"Cody, you're awake."

Cody walked up to Bailey and rubbed his body against her arm. Bailey cooed and then picked up Cody.

"Oh, Cody. I wish you were human again but even I have to admit that you're so cute as a cat."

Cody just blankly stares at Bailey.

"Cody, what do you want to do?"

Cody leans in and licks Bailey on the tip of her nose. His sandpaper-like tongue leaves a tingling sensation on Bailey's nose.

"Cody, that tickles."

Cody licks Bailey's nose again. Bailey begins to laugh a little. Before long, their little moment is interrupted by Carey opening the door to the bedroom.

"Bailey."

Bailey looks over to where Carey is.

"Yes, Mrs. Martin?"

"Arwin just confirmed to me that Cody is in fact in the cat's body. How is he?"

"He's fine. We had a nap together."

"Oh, good. Uh, look Bailey, Arwin is going to fix the machine for about two to six hours so during that time we'll have to look after Cody."

"Okay."

"But the thing is that I won't be able to be with you the whole time. I have to go down to rehearsal for tonight's show so would it be too much trouble if you just stayed with Cody for most of the time?"

"Not at all, Mrs. Martin."

"Okay. Great. I guess I'll see the two of you later."

"I guess so."

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye, Mrs. Martin."

Carey smiles at Bailey before she leaves again. Once Carey is gone, Bailey looks back at Cody.

"Well, Cody, looks like it's just you and me."

Cody stared at Bailey for a second and then meowed. Bailey stood up and carried Cody out the bedroom in her arms. She brought him back to the couch and had set him down once she sat down herself. Bailey leaned back against the couch and sighed.

"This is so weird."

Bailey looked over Cody and saw that he was bathing. He had chosen that particular moment to wash himself. Bailey turned her head away and picked up the remote. She turned on the TV and channel surfed until she stumbled upon something she like. She ended up on the History Channel. While Cody bathed himself, Bailey watched TV. An hour passed by before Cody had fallen asleep again. Bailey subconsciously reached over and scratched in-between his ears as she watched TV. Another hour passed by before Bailey got bored. She stopped scratching Cody's head and got off the couch. She idly walked around the suite until she stumbled upon Zack and Cody's old bedroom again. She instinctively flopped on Cody's bed and rested her head on his pillow. She even grabbed his baby blanket and brought it to her chest. Bailey just laid there on Cody's bed and thought of what she was supposed to do her boyfriend who, at the moment, was a cat. She found it ironic that out of all the days she called him Cody Kitten this was day that he actually would turn into a cat. She couldn't believe but she had to deal with it. Bailey sighed and got off Cody's bed and wandered back to the couch. She found that Cody was still taking a nap. Go figure. He was a cat after all and cats usually slept sixteen out of twenty four hours in a day. Bailey walked around the couch and watched Cody sleep. After circling the couch five times, Bailey leaned over one the arms and stared at Cody.

"Cody."

Cody hadn't moved.

"Cody."

Still there was no response from Cody.

"Cody!"

Cody finally woke up and looked at Bailey.

"Finally, you're awake."

Cody just stared at Bailey. He knew that there was nothing that he could do to better the situation so he acted naturally like a cat would do. Bailey patted on the arm of the couch and gestured that Cody come over to her.

"Cody, come here. Please, come here."

Cody got up and walked over to Bailey.

"Good boy."

Just then Bailey got a hold of Cody's furry body and picked him up. She cradled him in her arms like a mother would do with her human baby. Bailey walked along to the kitchenette with Cody in her arms. His tail was tucked in between his legs so that his private parts were covered. Once Bailey got close enough to the counter, she sat up on it and re-adjusted Cody's body so that his front paws were resting on one of her shoulders and that his hind legs rested on her chest. Bailey kept Cody close to her and stroked his furry back.

"Cody, I hope that you do go back to your human self. I mean, I've gotten used to you being a cat but I want to continue pursuing a romantic relationship with you and the only way I can do that is if you're human again. Plus, I really would love it if you could talk back to me. I don't feel comfortable having a one-sided conversation with you. It's awkward and frustrating."

Cody cuddled close to Bailey's neck.

"I know, Cody. I'm sure that this will all blow over soon but I need to hear your voice and feel your hands caress my cheeks and feel your soft lips on my own."

Bailey paused for a moment. As she thought of what to say next, Cody crinkled his little, black nose.

"I mean, before you turned into a cat, we were going somewhere. We getting really serious with each other and we have a special history together, Cody. I know this and you know this. I thought that soon we would be ready to take the next step in our relationship and become even closer but I guess life had other plans for us. I guess we'll have to just deal with the fact that you're a cat for now. I suppose that this will be a good lesson for us both. We can look adversity in the eye and conquer it. I just know it, Cody."

Cody brings his little, furry face close to Bailey's neck and begins to lick her skin. Bailey twists her face but then adjusts to the feel of Cody's tongue on her neck. After a while, she begins to laugh because the feel of Cody's tongue on her skin tickles her. Bailey becomes so giggly that Cody has to stop. Bailey gradually stops laughing and then looks at Cody's cute face.

"Oh, Cody. You still care even if you're a cat. You know just what to do to cheer me up. I should do something for you….I know! Do you want to play? Do you want me to scratch your belly?"

Cody shook his head to both suggestions. Bailey furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Then what should we do?"

Cody just meowed at Bailey. She stared at him but then had put him down on the counter. She got off the counter and Cody followed her. Bailey went to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Cody backed away once he realized that Bailey needed to have some time to herself. He took the liberty of walking around the suite for a bit. As soon as Cody got close to the front door, it swung open and in came Zack. Cody ran away from Zack and quickly hid behind the couch. As Cody hid behind the couch, he saw Max and Tapeworm file in behind Zack. The three of them plopped down on the couch and plugged in the video game console. They turned on a video game and began to play. Cody watched his two friends and brother play a video game. Soon after, Bailey came out of the bathroom and saw Cody behind the couch. She looked over and saw that Zack was back with some friends. Bailey quickly and quietly picked up Cody and held him against one of her shoulders in a protective manner. However, she was found out since Zack paused the game and noticed that someone was behind him. Max and Tapeworm also turned around and came face-to-face with Bailey.

"Hey, Bailey. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing."

Max pointed at Bailey.

"Oh, so you must be Bailey. Cody has talked a lot about you to me."

"And me", said Tapeworm.

"Oh, yeah. You two must be Tapeworm and Max. Nice to finally meet you."

Max stared at the cat in Bailey's arms.

"Likewise. But why do you have a cat?"

Bailey briefly looked down at Cody in her arms and then looked back at Max.

"Oh, he's a stray."

Zack stared at the cat.

"What does that mean? Is he dangerous?"

Bailey felt like laughing at how stupid Zack but she bit her tongue. Instead, she chose to explain to him what a stray cat was.

"No, Zack. He's not dangerous. And a stray cat is a cat that doesn't belong to anyone and hasn't been domesticated."

"What do you mean?"

"It means that he hasn't been trained and been given shots."

"So, does that mean that he has no name?"

"No. He has a name and his name is Winsome."

Max rolled her eyes.

"What kind of name is that?"

"Hey! I like the name. That's why I picked it."

"Yeah, whatever. You're a lot like Cody, brainy and weird."

Cody resented that last comment from Max so he turned around in Bailey's arms and hissed at her. Everyone was shocked that the cat had hissed at Max. Even Bailey was a little shocked.

"Did the cat just hiss at me?"

"His name is Winsome."

Zack rolled his eyes and decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, Bailey, where's Cody?"

"I don't know. I had went down to the lobby to find him, but he was nowhere to be found. I even asked Arwin where he was and he said that Cody had gone off in some direction. Since I don't know the hotel very well, I tried to find Cody but then gave up."

"Hm. Do you think he'll turn up soon?"

"I hope so. I'm worried about him."

"That's a shocker. These past few weeks you've been very worried for Cody's well-being. What's gotten into you, Bailey?"

"Nothing. It's just that Cody and I have grown as a couple and we have reached certain stages in our lives where we can't help but worry about each other's well-being after a significant amount of time."

"Okay then…. So, you think Cody will come back sometime soon?"

"No. But I do believe that he will eventually come back."

"Okay then. Hey, Bailey while you're waiting for Cody maybe you could join us on the couch?"

"Oh. No thanks, Zack. I'm not good at playing video games."

"You don't have to play. You can just sit while you hold onto Grumpy Kitty."

"He's not grumpy and his name is Winsome."

"Whatever. Are you going to join us or what?"

Bailey gruffly huffed and then sat down next to Zack. Then Zack resumed the game and he and Tapeworm and Max continued to play. Bailey watched the three of them play the video game while she naturally scratched the middle of Cody's head. After some time, Carey came back.

"Oh, hi, guys."

Max and Tapeworm turned to see Carey.

"Hi, Mrs. Martin."

"I see you guys are playing a video game."

"Yes, we are."

Zack didn't pay attention to his mom, he just kept on playing. Carey then looked over at Bailey.

"Bailey may I see you?"

"Uh, sure."

"And bring Winsome with you."

"Okay."

Tapeworm nudged Zack in the shoulder and made him pause the game. Once Zack paused the game and looked over Bailey and his mom, Tapeworm and Max had done the same. Near the front door, Carey had a conversation with Bailey.

"Bailey, it's almost time to give the cat away."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Max, Tapeworm, and Zack watch as Bailey and Carey leave the suite with the tan cat in Bailey's arms. Max then looked over at the two guys.

"Well, that was weird."

"I'll say. What do you think, Zack?"

Zack just shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. I'm sure that the cat will be fine."

"Okay."

"Come on, guys. Let's get back to the game."

Zack picks up his game control and so does Tapeworm. But Max stares at the door for a short while. She wonders where Bailey and Mrs. Martin will take the stray cat to. Soon after, she dismisses the thought and picks up her game controller. Once the three friends have their controllers ready, Zack unpauses the game and they resume their video game.

Meanwhile back with Bailey and Carey, they go down to the lobby together. Carey looks over at Bailey while she holds onto Cody curled up in her arms.

"So, how's Cody?"

"He's fine."

"Bailey."

Bailey looks over at Carey.

"Yes, Mrs. Martin?"

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, you know, for the most part. I have my health and I should glad that my family is safe back in Kansas and I'm here at the Tipton visiting some of my friends."

"But Cody's a cat. That's what bothering you, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry, Bailey. I know that it may seem weird, but everything is going to turn out just fine."

"I know. It's just that…I'm holding Cody in my arms like a mom holding a baby."

"So? You and Cody are a couple and couples call each other 'baby'."

"Yeah but we call each other 'baby' in a different context."

"I know. I was trying to put things in perspective."

"Sadly, it's not helping. I mean, I can't act like Cody's mom because that would be weird in two ways: I'm his girlfriend and he already has a mom which is you."

Carey rubbed Bailey's back in a comforting way.

"Well, I'm sure Arwin will change Cody back to normal."

"I know."

"Bailey, everything is going to be fine."

"Yeah…..I know. Thanks, Mrs. Martin."

"You're welcome."

Carey takes her hand away from Bailey's back.

"Bailey?"

"Yes, Mrs. Martin?"

"Before this whole incident occurred, how serious were you and Cody?"

"We were very serious."

"Have you considered marriage and having kids?"

"Oh, yes. A long time ago when we first dated for a year before we broke up. But now we have talked about the same things again just recently and it's different."

"What do you mean?"

"Now, Cody and I are surer than before that we do want to someday get married and have children together. We've even began to talk about where we would live and how we would raise our children."

"How you two talked about any wedding plans?"

"No. Cody thinks that we should wait until we get engaged."

"I'd figure Cody would say something like that. He just doesn't want to get your hopes up too soon. He always waits for the perfect moment to do most things."

"I can tell. Cody is bit of a perfectionist, but that's something I've learned to deal with."

"So, how sure are you that you want to marry Cody?"

"I'm very sure of our relationship. If Cody asked me today, of course in his human form, I would say 'yes' in a heartbeat."

Just then Carey smiled and Cody stirred. He rubbed his small, cat head against Bailey's chest. Carey and Bailey looked down Cody.

"He must have heard you, Bailey."

"He probably did."

There was a short pause and then Carey thought of something clever.

"Well, at least you'll have the right to call Cody 'Cody Kitten' because of this incident."

A small smile crept up on Bailey's face.

"You know what, Mrs. Martin? You're right."

"I'm glad I could lift your spirits."

"Yes, you did. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Just then, the elevator doors opened up. Carey and Bailey walked out into the lobby and then went to Arwin's work space. When they got there, Arwin was putting the finishing touches on the machine. As Bailey held the cat's body in her arms, she looked over at Cody's unconscious body curled up on the floor. She figured that the cat must be sleeping in his body. Arwin gestured Carey and Bailey over to where he was and instructed Bailey to put the cat's body on a stool that was near the machine. She did what she was told and Cody sat still. Arwin then instructed Carey to get Cody's body and have him or it to sit on the other stool. Once Carey got Cody's body to sit down on the other stool, Arwin then attached cords and wires to the heads of the two bodies and then plugged them into the machine. Once everything was ready, Arwin told Bailey and Carey to stand back.

"Okay, ladies, watch out. Some sparks may fly."

Carey and Bailey backed away toward the doorway and waited for Arwin to flip the switch that he made for the machine. Once Arwin flipped the switch, bolts of electricity flew through the cat's and Cody's bodies and sparks flew too. After a while, Arwin flipped the switch again and turned off the machine. He unhooked the cords and wires from the heads of Cody and the cat and then stepped back. Carey, Bailey, and Arwin waited if the transfer of brain waves was a success. The cat licked its right paw while Cody blinked his eyes. Bailey couldn't tell if the cat and Cody were back in their correct bodies so she approached Cody's body first. She leaned in close to his face to see if was him.

"Cody? Is that you?"

Cody stared at Bailey with puzzlement.

"Of course I am, Bailey. Why wouldn't I be?"

Bailey widely smiled. She was glad that Cody was back in his own body.

"So, you're okay?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember anything?"

Cody paused for a moment and then he remember that he switched bodies with a cat.

"Oh. I do remember. Dang it! I was stuck in a cat's body."

"But you're fine now."

"Yeah. I suppose."

Cody hopped off the stool and quickly experienced a very uncomfortable situation.

"Dang it!"

"What's wrong, Cody?"

"I just realized what the cat did to my body! My body soiled itself and slept on the ground! Just great. Now I have to take a shower, change my pants and boxers and throw in the dirty clothes in the laundry! Oh, so gross…."

Cody looked over at Bailey.

"Will you please excuse me, Bailey? I need to freshen up again if I want to be ready for our dinner tonight."

"Oh, that's okay, Cody. We don't have to have a nice dinner."

"But I want to. Plus, I need a real excuse to freshen up so that people find me weird."

"People don't think that you're weird."

"Yeah. Well, Zack does and he's part of the human population. I'm gonna go fix myself up, Bailey."

"Okay. I'll see you later."  
Cody then walks out of the room saying good bye to Bailey, Arwin and his mom. Once Cody is gone, a huge smile finds its way on Bailey's face.

"Cody's back."

"Yeah…Now what?"

Both Bailey and Carey look at Arwin.

"Well, Arwin, I guess you get rid the machine, I'll take the stray to an adoption agency and Bailey can go back to the suite."

"Oh, yeah. You're right, Carey."

Carey then picks up the cat and Arwin begins to dismantle his machine and clean up his work place. Bailey goes back up to the twenty third floor to the Martin family suite.

Back with Cody, he gets to the suite and opens the door. He finds two of his friends and his brother on the couch playing a video game. He rolls his eyes in amusement and goes straight to his bedroom and picks out a clean pair of pants and boxers and then brings them with him to the bathroom. He then takes a shower to clean himself up. While Cody was in the shower, Bailey came inside the suite. She had a smile on her face and walked over to the couch.

"Hey, guys."

Zack, Max and Tapeworm all mumbled a 'hi'.

"Have any one of you seen Cody come back? He's supposed to be here."

Suddenly, Zack paused the game and looked over at Bailey. Max and Tapeworm did the same thing.

"What?"

"I asked you guys if any of you seen Cody. He's supposed to be here."

"Um….I might have heard someone go in the bedroom and then go into the bathroom. Why?"

"Oh. Okay. Thanks, Zack. Cody must be taking a shower."

"How do you know?"

"Well, the water is running in the bathroom."

Zack turns his head toward the bathroom door and can hear the water running from the shower faucet.

"Oh. You're right, Bailey."

"So, what game have you guys been playing?"

"Zombie Smashers Five."

"Sounds violent."

"It is."

"You know, Zack, don't you better things to do than to tease Cody, play video games, do sports and only get C's at the community college?"

"No…."

"Well, what about being a better brother to Cody, taking a shower more than a week and contacting Maya?"

Max and Tapeworm suspiciously looked at Zack.

"Who's Maya?"

"Zack's first serious girlfriend."

"Bailey!"

"Sorry. They were bound to find out somehow."

Zack just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Could you go somewhere else and leave us in peace to play our video game?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm waiting for Cody. Once Cody is ready then we'll leave."

"Fine. But please don't mention anything about Maya."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

Zack, Max and Tapeworm continued their game while Bailey waited for Cody. She walked over to the table and sat down. Within a few minutes, Cody was out of the bathroom and ready…well for the most part. He still had to go down to the laundry room and take care of some dirty clothing items. But before he could go the laundry room, Bailey stopped him and convinced him that he could do the laundry later. Cody agreed and had put away his dirty clothes in the hamper and then washed his hands. Once he was completely ready, Cody took one of Bailey's hands and said goodbye to his friends and brother before he and Bailey headed out.

Later that night, Cody and Bailey had dinner at the hotel's restaurant and talked about the incident that they experienced earlier that day. During the course of dinner, Bailey called Cody 'Cody Kitten' more than a few times. Cody rolled his eyes at Bailey happily using his pet name numerous times. He even chuckled a little bit at the memory of him being in a cat's body. After dinner, they returned to the suite to see that Zack and Carey already had their own dinner. Cody and Bailey went back to Zack and Cody's room and sat on Cody's bed. They lovingly stared at each other for quite a while. Bailey then spoke up.

"You know what, Cody?"

"What?"

"As much as I liked you being a cute, little cat, I missed you being a human. You being a human meant so much for me than just having a certain body type. It meant being able to getting used to and loving all of your quirks, flaws and perfections and knowing your life story like a good book in which I could never tire of."

Cody smiled and leaned his forehead against Bailey's.

"That makes me feel happy to know that, Bailey. But what makes me really happy is that no matter what my life is like a good book always has the potential of becoming a great book."

"How so?"

"Everything gets better when a beautiful, thoughtful and intelligent girl or young woman comes into the story to make the boy or young man into a better person."

Bailey blushed.

"And who might this young woman be?"

"You."

Cody then closed the gap between his and Bailey's lips and kissed his true love. He was so grateful to be a human again so that he could hold Bailey in his arms and passionately kiss her. Cody wraps his arms around Bailey's waist and pulls her close to him. She places her hands on his cheeks in response. The two lovers get so involved in the kiss that both of them fall down on the bed. Cody continues to kiss Bailey even though his is on top of her on his bed. They keep on kissing until their lungs require a new supply of oxygen. As soon as they break apart to breath in some fresh air, they stare at one another. Bailey's hands slide down Cody's cheeks to his biceps.

"Cody."

"Yes, Bailey?"

"I'm really glad that you're okay."

"I'm glad too."

"Do you want to take a nap before I have to go back to London's penthouse for the night?"

"Sure. I'd like to hold you close to me before you have to leave for the night."

Bailey and Cody reposition their bodies so that Bailey is facing the door and Cody is spooning her. Bailey picks up Cody's baby blanket and brings it close to her chest. Cody tightly yet gently grips onto Bailey's waist and nuzzles his chin on her shoulder. They close their eyes and rest for a quite a while. During the time that Cody and Bailey take a nap, Bailey looks all peaceful and graceful in her sleep while Cody has one arm slung over Bailey's waist and the other arm stretched out underneath his head across his pillow and his mouth is slightly agape. Just as Cody and Bailey are in the midst of napping, Zack comes in to check up on them.

"Hey, guys—Oh."

Zack sees that Cody and Bailey are asleep for the moment. He thinks that Cody looks funny and Bailey just looks like she's at peace. Zack starts to laugh on how Cody and Bailey look together. He pulls out his phone and takes a picture of them. Then he sends multiple picture texts to a lot of people that he knows. He wanted the picture to go viral. He sent a picture text to Mr. and Mrs. Moseby, Esteban and Francesca, Arwin, Milos, Janice and Jessica, Barbara, Max, Tapeworm, Bob, Maddie, London, Maya, Woody, Addison and Marcus. Once Zack has sent all of the picture texts, he snickers even louder. He laughs so loud that he wakes up Cody and Bailey. They see him standing there, doubled over and laughing his butt off. Bailey then gets up and out of Cody's grasp and he sits up with her.

"Zack!"

Zack stops laughing and looks at Cody and Bailey.

"Yeah, bro?"

"What were you laughing about?"

"You two sleeping. It was so funny so I had to take a picture."

Cody didn't need any further explanation. He angrily got up from his bed and chased after Zack. They got to the door before Cody was able to kick Zack in the butt when he opened the door. Cody literally kicked Zack out of the suite. Zack scattered down the hall still chuckling even though his rear end had hurt. Cody was still steaming though. Zack took a stroll and decided to pull a prank on a poor, unexpecting hotel guest. When Cody got back to the suite, Bailey was standing at the door waiting for him. Cody felt embarrassed and shied away from her.

"I'm sorry that you had to see that, Bailey."

"It's okay. I'd probably do the same thing if one of my sisters irritated me, but I'm not really close to a lot of them anyhow."

"Oh. Well, do you want me to walk with you back to London's penthouse?"

"That would be great."

Cody and Bailey left the suite and went up to London's penthouse. When they got there, Cody and Bailey stopped in front of the door.

"Well, uh, will I see you tomorrow, Bailey? Or do you have plans with London?"

Bailey gave a coy smile.

"I think I can find some time to squeeze you into my schedule, Cody."

"Thanks, Bailey."

Bailey nuzzled her nose against Cody's.

"You're welcome."

Cody had a wide smile on his face.

"Okay. Sweet dreams, Bailey Bunny."

"And sleep tight, Cody Kitten."

Cody gives Bailey a light kiss on her nose.

"Good night."

"Good night."

Bailey goes into the penthouse and waves goodbye to Cody. He waits until the door is completely is closed before he goes back to the family suite.

The End.


End file.
